Machine for infolding and creasing blanks



Nov. 6, 1934.

W. L. DIXON MACHINE FOR INFOLDING AND CREASING BLANKS Filed Dec. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l mENTOR wait; K- L1 I BY W HM Ala m)! ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 6, 1934. w. L. DIXON 1,979,372

-MACHINE FOR INFOLDING AND CREASING BLANKS Filed Dec. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I 1 K INVENTQR VG i M 1% E J BY A B W K Q MHH TTORNEYS Patented Nov. 6 1934 UNITED TTS PATENT FWQE MACHINE FOR INFOLDING AND CREASING BLANKS corporation of Maine Application December 26, 1931, Serial No. 583,192

9 Claims.

This invention is a novel machine for infolding and creasing blanks; and has reference more particularly to the production of various articles or parts of garments from cloth blanks '5 required to be infolded at marginal portions thereof and creased at predetermined points for subsequent refolding. As a typical instance, the invention is shown applied to a machine wherein the parts acting on the blank are designed 10 for the infolding and creasing of blanks to form straps such as used on overalls, pants, vests and other articles of clothing. The features of improvement however may be of utility in analogous cases where one or more margins are to be infolded and a margin or margins marked or indexed with a transverse crease at a definite location to assist a subsequent operation, wherein, for example the blank is to be subsequently folded upon itself or refolded, such as pockets for garments, pads .for garters and the like, or analogous operations upon cuifs and collars.

A general object of the invention is to effect the infolding of a margin or margins of blanks in any desired or usual way and in the same operation form creases in the infold or infolds at predetermined points to facilitate the accurate subsequent manual or automatic refolding of the blank before the stitching or attachment thereof to the garment; thus saving hand labor and insuring accuracy in the operations and uniformity of product. Further advantages of the improved invention will be explained in the hereinafter following description or will be understood to those conversant with the subject. To the attainment of such objects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel machine or mechanism and the novel features of operation, combination and construction herein illustrated or described.

a well understood and developed subject, involving a bed or support to hold the blank, a templet, die or defining means for defining the outline to be infolded and an infolding means or system of infolders for turning in the outly ing margins and folding them over the edges of the templet, the construction or arrangement preferably being such that the templet can be withdrawn in one way or another from the folds so produced, and the folds thereupon squeezed by mutual pressure between the infolders and the bed to render the folds more permanent, assisted usually by the heating of the bed. Examples of such machines, wherein the operations are coordinated by the actuating The infolding of cloth or analogous blanks is or cam mechanism include my prior Patents No. 956,950 of May 3, 1910 for infolding cuffs, No. 1,591,613 of June 6, 1926 and No. 1,648,450

of November 8, 1927 for infolding collars, and No. 1,763,648 of April 8, 1930 for folding pockets, and No. 1,797,641 of March 24, 1931 for infolding garter pads, to which reference may be made for suitable mechanisms for positioning the templet upon the blank, expanding the templet and contracting it from the folds, operating the infolders to fold the blank margins over the templet, and effecting a squeezing pressure, as by lifting the bed or depressing the infolders.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of an infolding machine including the bed, templet and infolders constructed and adapted to operation in accordance with this invention, the parts being shown with the templet defining the folds but the infolders still retracted.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, but with the parts shown in a subsequent stage of operation, the infolders having been lifted to a suitable level to be moved inwardly.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 1, but with the parts shown in a subsequent stage of operation wherein the infolders have moved inwardly from the front and having formed the infold along the front margin of the blank.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 4, but with the infolders now shown as having been moved inwardly longitudinally, thus completing the folding, and further the templet or defining means having retracted or contracted out of the infolds, leaving the latter ready to be squeezed between the bed and infolders.

Fig. 6 is asection view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts in position corresponding with Fig. 5; and this view may be considered as illustrating the final operation of squeezing the infolds between the bed and infolders, and at the same time effecting certain creases in the infolded margins of the blank in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 7 shows the same parts at the same stage of operatiombut taken upon the transverse vertical plane 77 of Fig. 5.

While the invention might be employed for the infolding of blanks at one or any number of edges, the illustrated embodiment is designed for the folding of one side edge and the two end edges of a blank to form a strap for overalls or other clothing; and Fig. 8 represents a face 1 f be wider at one end than the other.

View of the original blank, Fig. 9 representing the same after the front side edge has been infolded, Fig. 10 the same after the completing of the folding and the production of the predetermined creases in the end infolds, Fig. 11 the same with the rear section of the blank refolded inwardly upon one pair of creases, and Fig. 12 the completed article, wherein the front section of the blank has been refolded inwardly, the product thus illustrated being ready for stitching to complete the strap and to attach it to the garment.

Referring first to the diagrams of the blank Figs. 8 to 12 the original blank A is shown shorter at the right than at the left end, and the front side therefore inclined relatively to the rear side. In Fig. 9 the front side fold B has been turned in, preserving the inclined direction. In Fig. 10 the left and right end margins C and D of the blank have been folded in in a manner to overlap at the front corners the side fold B. Fig. 10 also shows the formation of creases according to this invention, namely the creases E and F spaced apart upon 1 the left end infold C and the creases G and H spaced apart upon the right end infold D, the creases E and F being spaced somewhat further apart than the creases G and H since in this embodiment the final product is desired to By this arrangement the blank is in effect divided into three sections, as indicated by the dotted lines, the creases accurately predetermining the division lines between the sections. Fig. 10 represents the product as delivered by the machine of this invention. The subsequent refolding may be done manually or otherwise. Fig. 11 indicates the rear section I of theinfolded blank as having been turned in in a manner determined by J the creases F and H. Following this, as in Fig.

12, the front section J is refolded or turned in over the refolded section I, and the section J having initially had its front side infolded the product or completed strap K will present no raw edge at any point.

Referring next to Figs. 1-7 the'bed or support is shown as having its central portion elevated in the form of a plateau or so-called pad 21 which is preferably substantially of the exact size and shape of the finished folded product,

this bed pad being surrounded by depressions adapted to accommodate the infolding system when idle, as plainly seen in Fig. 2. The bed is also shown as having near its margin a system of shallow depressions or grooves 22 preferably in the form of V-shape notches adapted to cooperate in the creasing action subsequently to be described.

The defining means or templet is shown as comprising a plurality of plates 24 and 25, but the templet might be of any character so long as its defining portions are retractible from the folds in advance of the creasing operation. For example the combined plates 24 and 25 might be slid out bodily rearward, but preferably they are drawn endwise toward each other while shifted slightly rearward, in other words given diagonal motions to retract quickly from the infolds. The different plates or sections of the templet are preferably operatively combined and operated from overhead connections by which the templet is initially lowered upon the blank upon the bed and eventually lifted therefrom to permit the insertion of a new blank.

The arrangement of infolders might be varied in accordance with known practises, but there is herein shown a combination of two L-shape infolders, 27 at the left and 28 at the right, each covering one end and part of the front side of the shape to be folded. In order to preserve alinement during the infolding of the front side edge the infolder 2'? is shown as carrying an alining bar or extension 29 reaching into a parallel recess in the infolder 28. Each of the infolders also is formed with a forwardly extending slot 30 adjacent its corner, each slot arranged to receive the endwise extending material at the time the front side infold is formed, a plan already well known. Each infolder also, along its edge arranged at the end of the shape to be folded, is provided with a slot 31 for each of the creasing ribs of the creasing devices to be described, permitting such ribs to extend downwardly through the infolder as best seen in Fig. 7. After the infolders have cooperatively moved rearwardly to form the front side infold they are to be moved toward each other endwise, thus producing the end infolds, following which the defining parts of the templet are retracted.

The means herein embodied for producing the creases E, F, G and H in certain of the infolds of the blank may comprise the following elements. A plate 33 is attached on top of the infolder 27 and a similar plate 34 upon the infolder 28, these being connected by attaching screws 35 and preferably having a slight resiliency. The inner edges of the creaser plates 33 and 34 are shown in alinement with the inner edges of the infolder plates 27 and 28. creaser plates 33 and 34, at the respective creasing points are provided with underneath recesses to receive buttons 37 and 38 respectively, each of these buttons formed with a downwardly extending rib or tongue 39 or 40 adapted to extend through the slots 31 in the respective infolders. The grooves'or recesses 22 formed in the bed pad 21 are located directly beneath the slots 31 of the infolders, so as to receive the tapered lower edges of the ribs 39 or 40. sult of this arrangement is that after the infolders have moved endwise inwardly to form the end infolds on the blank, and after the templet has withdrawn from such infolds, the ribs 39 and 40, projecting slightly downwardly below the infolders 27 and 28, and resting upon I the top of the fabric infolds C and D, tend to thrust the material downwardly into the grooves or recesses 22 and thus produce the desired The The recreases at the predetermined points E, F, G

and H.

A decided and effective creasing action is afforded by the relative depression of the infolders toward the bed, causing a squeezing of the folds .to render them permanent, and this same acthe blank, Fig. 10 indicating also the position of I v the creases formed by this invention. The templet having been bodily removed, and the infolders retracted to their outward positions, the infolded and creased blanks may be removed from the machine manually or otherwise and the refolding'operations as in Figs. 11 and 12 performed, thus completing the product down to the point of stitching the same.

The downward, upward, inward and outward movements of the templet and infolders having been fully disclosed, to perform the operations hereof, it is not deemed necessary to show mechanical connections for producing and timing the movements, which might be effected by hand and foot, or by cams turned by power as in said prior patents and designed and connected to give the described actions.

There has thus been described a folding machine fulfilling the purposes of the present invention and embodying its principles; but since many matters of operation, combination and construction may be variously modified within the scope of the invention, the claims are not intended to be limited to such matters except to the extent set forth in the respective claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for infolding and creasing blanks for cloth articles, the combination of a blank supporting bed, having a recess for each creasing projection, a blank defining means retractible from the marginal infolds of the blank, infolding plates movable inwardly over a margin or margins of the blank to infold the same, and having a slot for each creasing projection, and creasing means, comprising a plate or holder with a creasing projection or rib adapted to protrude through the slot in an infolder and into a recess in the bed.

2. In a machine for infolding blanks for cloth straps and the like, the combination of a blank supporting bed having depressions to receive creasing ribs, a blank defining templet retractible from the marginal infolds of the blank, and infolders movable inwardly over margins of the templet and blank to infold the same, and adapted to cooperate with the bed in squeezing the infolds after the retraction of the templet; one or more of such infolders carrying one or more creasing devices in the form of ribs protruding downwardly and adapted to be thrust against the folded margins between the infolders and the bed after the retraction of the templet, to form a crease or creases therein for subsequent refolding of the blank.

3. An infolding machine as in claim 2 and wherein the infolders infold two ends and one side of the blank, and at each end carry two creasers spaced apart.

4. An infolding machine as in claim 2 and wherein the infolders infold two ends and one side of the blank, and at each end carry two creasers spaced apart a greater distance at one end than the other, to form a product which may be refolded to constitute a garment strap.

5. Means for infolding the margin of a blank and transversely creasing such infolded margin, comprising a bed and an infolder between which the margin may be infolded and squeezed, and a creasing projection or rib operable beneath the infolder.

6. Means for infolding the margin of a blank and transversely creasing such infolded margin, comprising a bed and an infolder between which the margin may be infolded and squeezed, and a creasing projection or rib operable beneath the infolder, the bed having a groove beneath the creasing projection or rib.

7. In a machine for infolding an edge or edges of a blank and indenting a folded edge thereof with a transverse crease at a definite location to assist a subsequent refolding operation, a blank supporting bed having an indenting recess, a blank definer relatively retractible from the infolds of the blank, infolding means movable inwardly to fold the blank edge or edges over the definer, and an indenting device comprising a projection or rib arranged transversely to a blank edge and adapted to be relatively thrust facewise against the folded blank edge above said recess to produce a transverse crease therein, said device being mounted above the infolding means and the infolding means being cut away to accommodate the indenting pro- Jection.

8. In a machine for infolding an edge or edges of a blank and impressing a folded edge thereof with a visible marking at a definite location to assist a subsequent operation, a blank supporting bed having a recess, a blank definer for defining the infolds of the blank, infolding means comprising one or more infolders movable inwardly to fold the blank edge or edges over the definer, and impressing means carried by and movable with the infolder and comprising a rojection arranged to be thrust downwardly 3 against the folded edge while upon the bed to force the material into said recess of the bed and thereby produce a transverse crease therein.

9. A machine of the class set forth for infolding a plurality of the edges of a blank and for 4 impressing one of such folded edges with an indentation at a definite location to assist a subsequent operation, comprising in combination a blank defining member adapted to occupy the infolded edges of the blank during their infolding, infolding means comprising a member adapted to move inwardly to overlap the defining member at a plurality of edges and thereby infold the blank edges over the edges of the defining member, a blank supporting bed having an impressing element at the location to be marked, beneath the position of overlap of the infolding member and the defining member, and a complemental impressing element at the under side of one of said members, operated to be thrust relatively against the upper side of the blank above the impressing element of the bed, one of such impressing elements being a projection and the other being a recess, thereby by their cooperation to produce an indentation at 

